Georgia Southern LB Antwione Williams taken in Fourth Round by Lions

Former Georgia Southern linebacker Antwione Williams was selected Saturday on the final day of the 2016 NFL Draft. Williams, a native of Lovejoy, Georgia, went in the fifth round to the Detroit Lions, who took him with the 169th overall pick.

“I’m so happy right now,” Williams said just moments after getting the news. “I love Eagle Nation and all the support they’ve showed me my time in Statesboro. I can’t wait to hold it down in the NFL!”

Williams enjoyed an impressive career at GS, where he racked up 205 total tackles, including 19.5 for loss and seven sacks, along with six forced fumbles. As a senior, Williams led the Eagles’ stingy defense with 107 tackles and was named honorable mention All-Sun Belt Conference.

He becomes the 12th Georgia Southern football player ever taken in the NFL Draft and the first linebacker in program history to be selected. The last players to be drafted out of Georgia Southern were Jerick McKinnon (3rd Round; Minnesota) and Lavelle Westbrooks (7th Round; Cincinnati) in 2014.

Williams is the first GS player to be chosen by the Detroit Lions in the NFL Draft.

Allen is a die-hard football fan who has covered the NFL since 2007 and has written for numerous sites online covering football, MMA and pro wrestling. Allen is based out of Nashville and has a sales background as well as a career managing fighters in the UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce.